Killzone 3 has arrived on the
PlayStation 3 after a string of delicious breadcrumb trailers and
titbits from Sony. With a Hollywood type blockbuster story, flawless
gameplay and graphics to die for... plus full compatibility with FULL HD
3D-TV's, Killzone 3 is definitely the ultimate first person shooter
experience of 2011. Best of all, the developers have improved on some of
the complaints and shortcomings of the original titles, making this game
more streamlined and a true treat to play. This is gaming at its best!

The story of Killzone 3 takes place two years after the ending of the
previous game as the corrupt Helghan are fighting back against the ISA
after their invasion. Players take the role of Sevchenko, an ISA soldier
as the story swaps between both factions of the game. At times,
the storyline of Killzone is reminiscent of Frank Herbert's Dune due to the
Imperial like Helghan as they attempt to gain the upper hand again as
their empire falls apart around them.

At it's core, the gameplay behind Killzone 3 is a traditional first
person shooter that works extremely well on the PS3. The controls are
mapped quite well on the DualShock controller with some tweaking
available to the gamer. With three different difficulty levels, Killzone
3 should take most gamers around 8 (being lenient) or so hours to
successfully complete, provided they go out of their way a little. As
you explore this violent world that has been scarred by war, you will
encounter a number of different enemies plus some powerful weapons to be
found along the way. Depending on your difficulty level, ammunition is
not a problem but as you increase the difficulty, the AI of the enemies
does create a thorn in your side. Killzone 3 is definitely more realistic when played on a higher
difficulty system because you need to take into consideration the cover
mechanics that requires much more strategy.

The majority of gameplay is combat that is generally done on foot but
there are also some vehicles levels as well that helps give the gamer a
break. Did I mention you have a jetpack as well? You betcha! There is an element of
"puzzles" in the game that generally require you to use the six axis
controls such as turning valves in the game. I must admit that I was a
little taken aback by this feature because it has not been used in many
games of late. Apart from the six axis controls, Killzone 3 even
supports the new PlayStation Move controllers. It definitely changes the
gameplay and there are a number of PlayStation Movie configurations
available but when it comes to accuracy, you cannot beat the DualShock
controller which still works a treat. However it's definitely great to
see a game like this support this new system.

One annoying aspect of Kill Zone 3 are the checkpoints. Even though
there are many checkpoints in the game, you basically need to complete
your main objective or "mission" before you can save the game. I was
half way through a mission and decided to call it a night but when I
returned to the game, I was back at the start of the mission. The
single-player campaign has plenty of twists and turns to be found along
the way and some of the action scenes are fantastic. I have not had this
much fun since Gears of War 2 due to the story and characterisation of
the various people in the game you encounter.

But Killzone 3 is not just about
single-player as it contains a rather in-depth and enjoyable online
multiplayer mode. Like similar games, Killzone 3 allows the player to
select their class and engage in a variety of different gameplay modes.
One interesting aspect of multiplayer for this title is that the gamer
is awarded points on how well they performed in the game which can then
be used to upgrade your class with additional skills. Depending on your
preferred class, whether an Engineer, Field Medic, Infiltrator, Marksmen
or Tacticians, the classes are actually quite varied and diverse and in
order to successfully complete some gameplay modes, you need an
all-round team.

The classes were similar to Killzone 2,
however the new
additions and tweaks to the classes really spruce things up such as the Tactician
who can control spawn points or the Engineers who can upgrade turrets
and the like for additional firepower. From mission objectives to death
matches, there's plenty of action and fan service of the Killzone series
to be found online. I've thrown Halo Reach aside for now because there's
a new multiplayer king in town.

Graphically, Killzone 3 is one of the best looking games that I have
witnessed on the PlayStation 3. Firstly, the background environments are
truly amazing and there's more detail than you can poke a stick at, the
jungle and snow scenes are to die for. he
pre-rendered cinematics look real and more importantly, the in-game
graphics look very realistic as you fight, run and shoot your way to
victory. The texture details are high, the lighting is used quite well
to highlight certain parts of the game and there are a variety of
different locales to be visited while playing as opposed to the previous
game.

However the highlight for Killzone 3 for me was the inclusion of
3D that pushes this game over into the amazing basket. 3D can be turned
on via the options menu which does allow you to tweak how much 3D
effects occur. It definitely turns the gameplay into a unique experience
as everything almost jumps out at you. The only issue with 3D and non-3D
is that at times, 3D seemed a little slower in certain parts of the game
and if you want to turn 3D off, you need to quit the game.

The soundtrack behind Killzone 3 enhances the gaming experience like
some Hollywood action movie but set on an alien world. The music changes
with the gameplay to help get your adrenaline pumping or your emotions
flowing. Voice acting is quite professional for the majority of times
but on occasion, it does sound a little forced and contrived due to some
over acting. It's also a game that must be heard on surround sound in order for those explosions to be heard by
neighbours or to hear those bullets whizzing past your head. A
true "wow" moment here.

Final Thoughts?

Killzone 3 is far superior than its predecessors and this will
definitely be the must have first person shooter game on the PS3 for
2011. There
are a few issues in the game but overall, this game works on just about
every level of a first person shooter game. I really enjoyed
the story behind Killzone and my one grip was that the single-player
campaign was a little short. Fortunately, the world of multiplayer more
than makes up for this short-fall and I'm also playing the game again on
hardest difficulty. What a brilliant game from Guerrilla Games!